


Facets

by orphan_account



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Drabble, Drabble Collection, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:01:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3883252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven Universe Drabble Collection.</p><p>Pearl watches Steven sleep and worries about him and the future. Probably more chapters afterward focusing on different Gems or events. Probably Lapis.</p><p>New Lapis Chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> This is a drabble collection. This first one is about Pearl and Steven. The next one is probably about Lapis. I hope you enjoy it.

####  Reflection 

Pearl crept carefully upstairs to Steven’s room. She avoided the toys and mess strewn over the floor. She’d clean them up later. She hated mess, but now wasn’t the time.

Steven was sleeping in his bed, soundlessly, peacefully. His mind was a million miles away from the day’s events. She reached down and patted his forehead. He’d need to rest. Jasper and Lapis were gone somewhere under the sea ,but Peridot was still out there. To make things worse Homeworld knew about them now. 

She had promised not to watch Steven sleep and for a while she hadn’t. Tonight though, she couldn’t help herself. It calmed her to see Steven safely sleeping. He was fragile. Not as fragile as other humans, but still fragile. Pearl thought about Gems and how often they took their abilities for granted. She thought of Amethyst and the time they’d nearly lost her. Amethyst was a little more reserved now ,albeit still more reckless than herself and Garnet.

That was probably the result of experience. Amethyst was the youngest Gem,born here on Earth in the Kindergarten. She shuddered involuntarily. The Kindergarten represented the worst vices of the Gems. It was everything Rose Quartz had hated. Everything she and the other Crystal Gems had fought and died for. Pearl paused a moment and looked down into Steven’s sleeping face.

Yes, died for. It was hard to say and harder to comprehend. Rose Quartz was a gem. Her body was nigh invulnerable. 5000 years was almost nothing for them. They were forever and unchanging and yet Rose Quartz was dead. Although,perhaps not quite, maybe no Gem ever really died.

Steven was his mother’s child,Half human half gem,he was himself and he was Rose Quartz. Pearl thought about what this meant for him. He could fuse and he could change form. Just as they could, but he was also human. He was Greg’s son.  
His body was limited and precious and expiring all the time. The short hop of 50 years to a nearby star system would pass in the blink of an eye for her. But, for Steven it could be his whole life. 

It was possible he’d grow with them. That his unique heritage would allow him to be as long lived as they were. She hoped so. They all truly loved Steven as they had his mother. There were moments were they missed her. Rose Quartz was a brilliant leader of the Crystal Gems. Steven didn’t quite have his mother’s leadership ability.

His heart though was as bright and as loving as hers,perhaps more so. He’d understood and managed to befriend Lapis. She had even given herself up for him and imprisoned Malachite at the bottom of the sea. Steven was a fine Crystal Gem and Pearl was sure that Rose Quartz would approve.

It was also possible that Steven’s humanity would be too much to overcome. That he lived a finite life on a singular planet and whether they chose to or not. Eventually, the Gems,Lapis and the planet Earth would have to say goodbye to Steven and Rose Quartz forever. It wasn’t a possibility she wanted. It wasn’t something she was prepared for. To lose her Rose and then to lose her a second time. Garnet would know or at least her future vision might, but Pearl was too afraid to ask. She couldn’t bear to look at his bright beaming smile and know that eventually it too would fade.

Pearl felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Garnet. She must have used her future vision and came here. Pearl turned to face her.

“ You know, you’re not supposed to watch him while he sleeps” Garnet said her tone a mixture of admonishment and understanding.

“ I know.. I just, Humans live such short lives” Pearl said struggling to explain herself.

Garnet pulled her in closer. Her embrace was a great comfort.

“ But Steven isn’t a human. He’s a Crystal Gem and whatever the future holds we’ll be there for him” Garnet said confidently. She kissed Steven lightly on the forehead.

“Now, we’d best get to the temple, We still need to find Peridot”

The two of them crept quietly down the stairs and into the temple.

“ So, you’ve never used your future vision to ...you know” Pearl said.

“To?”

“To find whether Steven... or when he” Pearl asked uncomfortably.

Garnet stopped at the suggestion and smiled. 

“No, Steven is precious, I/We want to share every moment with him. No matter how fleeting” She said tapping her glasses.

Pearl and Garnet continued further into the temple in contented silence. Garnet was right. Regardless of how long he had to live, He was their Steven and they loved him.


	2. Tartarus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis recovers after the events of Jail Break and attempts to understand herself and her new found freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not perfect, but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Lapis is my personal favourite character although, all the Gems are great. I'm thinking of writing the continuation to this piece. It might be fun to write about Peridot or Lion next though.
> 
> Any thoughts?

##  Tartarus

Lapis sat on the edge of the rock and peered nervously into the ocean. It washed gently against the rocks.She was safe,for now. There was no sign of Jasper.

It’d been at least three days since she’d escaped. Malachite had collapsed and Lapis had managed to escape. Jasper had tried to follow her, but she was wounded from the fight with Garnet and the stress of fusion. 

There was little chance she’d be discovered here. It was a small cove carved into the rock with centuries of erosion. It couldn’t be seen from the land or the ocean. Lapis quite liked it here. It was cut-off and isolated. At high tide it was nigh inaccessible to humans. Lapis had found it utterly by chance. She’d run from Jasper, allowing the waves and the currents to carry her. Gliding like some nymph over the ocean and finally she’d found herself here.

She stretched her open hand out to the horizon and felt the ocean ripple slightly, as though responding to her touch. She closed her hand into a strong fist and sent the waves smashing against the rock. She had finally realised something. Here, she was more than good. Here on this planet covered in water. She was strong and she was powerful. For the first time, a small sly smile formed. She rose boldly to her feet. She thought of those who’d wronged her, she thought of those she’d bowed her head to; Jasper, Rose, the Crystal Gems. Here on this little blue backwater, she’d show them all. The sea around her was a frothing tempest now. Her sharp and angular wings shimmered in the morning light. Her face contorted into fury.

She’d take the fight to them; pull them down into the dark depths, down, down into her domain. They didn’t appreciate this world or its oceans. It was beautiful, but it was cold and dark and cruel. She hadn’t too at first. She’d learned to see the world’s beauty from Steven and she’d learnt cruelty from Malachite.

She wasn’t sure how long they’d been together or even where they’d been. Malachite was a raving beast.She was always writhing, wailing,screaming. She was a creature so aware of her own power and ability. She remembered how it had felt to think such cruel and sadistic thoughts. Malachite was desperate to hurt the Crystal Gems and Steven. She’d held it under as long as she was able. She had been both prisoner and jailer. Malachite had been confused and conflicted. It was two beings forced together, an unnatural and unwanted fiend. It was not what Lapis had heard of Fusion. It hadn’t been what she’d expected. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear its pathetic anguished wailing, A sound like its maker, smothered and lost under the waves. It wanted nothing more than escape.

Lapis sighed. She didn’t hate Malachite. Yes, she was all of those things, but she was also lost and afraid and alone. Lapis understood. She thought back to her time in the mirror.

At first she’d screamed, raged, fumed. Later she’d pleaded, cried and begged. Finally ,broken and cowed, she’d obediently shown whatever was asked of her. When they’d stopped asking anything at all and the weight of the silence became too much to bear, She forgot herself. She'd faded into the background in an unpleasant dreamless sleep.

Lapis let her wings droop.The sea regained its calm appearance and continued its regular motion. Lapis was lonely here and her voice, when she bothered to use it, sounded even meeker and more lost as it echoed through the cavernous space.

Lapis longed for what Garnet had, even if she wasn’t a fusion. Lapis longed to be understood and more than that she longed to be wanted. She supposed that was what she’d always wanted, Before Malachite, before her escape, Before the Crystal Gems That was what she did. That was all she was ever meant to.  
“Just Follow Orders”. She’d hoped to find it on Homeworld. Every beat of her wings had carried her closer to it. After centuries of loneliness, she’d gone home and she’d found her acceptance.

Except, she never found it, Homeworld had changed. It had been 5000 years, change was inevitable. Her home-world was gone, eroded away, each piece lost never to be regained, leaving nothing but a dark empty void. She had no home and she had nobody.

She wanted to believe that wasn’t true. Her thoughts again turned to Steven. He was bright and good and kind. He’d helped her, even against the other Crystal Gems. He was perhaps the only friend she ever had. She longed to see him again. She pondered finding him again. Would he accept her? She’d stopped Jasper that must have counted for something. But she’d led them to Steven. She didn’t expect the Crystal Gems to forgive her, she didn’t want them too. She didn’t forgive them either. But, for Steven’s sake perhaps she could try.

The sun was falling now; the small cove was filled with frightening shadows. Like monsters staring out of the darkness. Lapis took a breath and turned to face the cavern.

“I AM LAPIS LAZULI, AND I AM FREE” She roared. Her booming voice echoed around the cavern and shattered the silence. It was like the voice of the ocean itself. It wasn’t a meek whisper, but a bold and triumphant decree.

Lapis beat her powerful wings and ascended into the night sky. Her face illuminated with a perfect smile. She soared towards her destination. She was coming and they’d best be ready.


	3. Peridot in Peril

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot is trapped on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Here's a Peridot chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

## Peridot in Peril

Peridot groaned and forced herself upright. It was difficult to do in such a small ship. Her shoulders brushed the walls of the escape pod and she’d been thrown around in the landing. The console’s display flickered and sparked,illuminating the pod’s interior. She looked around at the damage, It was a surprise it was still together. These pods weren’t made for atmosphere. Peridot scanned the surroundings with a practiced eye. The internals were compromised and the propulsion systems were beyond repair, at least on a backwater like Earth. There was a limit to what Human technology could achieve. Although,it would still serve as a base to wait out the Gems and receive rescue.

Would she be rescued? This was supposed to be an easy mission. They’d sent a skeleton crew. Just her,Jasper and limitless robonoids. It was hardly an occupying force. Get in and reactivate the Kindergarten. There wasn’t any expected resistance. The battle of Strawberry Field had passed and Rose Quartz was gone. Perfect conditions to restart. Homeworld had never mentioned the Crystal Gems. 

Peridot sighed “ Just who were the Crystal Gems and why were they interfering with her mission?” It didn’t matter, she’d reactivated the Kindergarten. 

Peridot hated unexpected delays, Efficiency and Effectiveness. Those were virtues she prided herself on. Others didn’t understand. Prissy Peridot they called her. Pointless wastes of time and energy. Homeworld would be better without them.

It was perhaps that attitude that had won her this assignment.   
“ An easy assignment, of key importance” they’d told her.   
They probably knew more than they’d told her. At least she had the Robonoids. “Ugh, had she been here too long” Robonoids were tools, nothing more. 

Peridot’s own systems still worked perfectly. The pod had taken the brunt of the damage and she was mostly unharmed. 

She opened the pod doors and stepped out onto the alien planet. Her view was filled with golden fields, strange stalks swaying in the cool breeze. The entire field moving like the chest of some strange beast. 

“This is hardly ideal” Peridot mumbled. There was nobody to hear, but it made her feel better. The pod had landed in the centre of this field and embedded itself deep into the soft earth. Even is she fixed the propulsion systems, she wasn’t she could dig it out. She was a technican. That was a job for Jasper. 

Jasper was without subtlety or efficiency. A front-line unit and the embodiment of the maxim “Might is right”. She was a necessary evil and she would have freed the pod in moments. Peridot cursed her unenviable situation. Her descent had scorched much of the surrounding field and left a huge gash like an open wound.

The situation was worse than she’d hoped. The pod was not only visible, but far from inconspicuous. She’d need to change plan. She couldn’t stay here.

Peridot leant on the remains of the pod and considered her options. There was no signal from the ship and it could be assumed lost. Jasper and that fusion had fought. Was Jasper even still together?

That Pearl (The defective one) had been at the controls. They couldn’t understand just how advanced it was. Peridot liked that ship, it was exactly as she needed. Unlike the robonoids she’d considered it hers. She’d named it, Officially it belonged to Yellow Diamond and was (Y11486) and it was on her official reports. Unofficiallly, in her private notes and deepest thoughts it was hers.

 

She stood up, she couldn’t stay here daydreaming. This was hostile territory. Her ship was destroyed and Jasper was missing, Not to mention that Lapis. 

Jasper had insisted on bringing her. Peridot thought it was inefficient. She wasn’t smart like her, or strong like Jasper. Lapis had spent most of her time staring out at the stars. It was like she hadn’t been in space before. Infuriating, always asking questions and wandering through her ship, disrupting her perfect system. 

Her intel hadn’t been that useful. There were Gems on earth, It couldn’t even be verified. It was the result of Jasper’s brutal interrogation. Peridot imagined she’d make something up too in that case. She’d seen them at the Kindergarten though, and again before they’d ruined her ship. 

Nothing to worry about, Peridot’s heart sank. Perhaps, they’d been sent here like she had. To reactivate the warps and the Kindergarten. Had they turned native from the isolation. Left here to be forgotten. Was this the fate of all failures? Perhaps there was nothing here. Maybe it was a ruse to rid Homeworld of incompatible Gems. A prison planet?

Peridot wiped her brow with her hand. No she was being irrational. Besides, she wasn’t trapped here. The first thing she’d done had been repair the warps. Maybe she could use them to get home. 

Yes, that’s what she’d do, find the warps and return home. Yellow Diamond could raise an army and crush this planet like a defective robonoid. But, for now the best plan was to withdraw and regroup. She wondered where she’d find Jasper and Lapis. She wanted them to corroborate her story and she didn’t like the idea of facing Yellow Diamond alone. They had a reputation for cruelty, that made Jasper look gentle.

She scanned the information on her datapad. Oxygen rich atmosphere, 70% water. Primitive technology. Rich in minerals. It was an ideal seed planet. 

Her datapad pinged, there was Gem technology nearby. Perhaps she could repair the pod or reach the warps. 

Peridot ran swiftly through the corn fields. Ruthlessly crushing stalks underfoot. Her path was clear and obvious, but it didn’t matter. Those Gems shouldn’t have survived and the humans were no threat. 

She reached an outcrop looking out onto the beach. Her datapad pinged again.  
“It’s over there” Peridot thought climbing down onto the beach. The sand was soft beneath her feet and she had to move quickly to avoid sinking.

She walked a while longer. Peridot stopped. Her mouth wide in shock. Something was being dragged into the sea. She couldn’t see it from here, but she could hear its screams. She hid herself behind a rock and peered out from it.

It seemed the Crystal Gems had survived and they had that Steven with them. Pieces of her precious ship littered the beach and it sparkled green in the moonlight.

The Crystal Gems and Steven turned and walked inside, underneath the large statue. It wasn’t a figure Peridot knew, but she saw little use for History. History was immutable, unchanging, It wasn’t something she could fix and so held little interest to the technician. 

Still, she needed to get in there, It was her only hope of reaching the warps and Homeworld. She needed to return home and warn them. They’d underestimated this planet. These Crystal Gems were dangerous.


	4. Resolved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the battle of Strawberry Fields. The Crystal Gems are surrounded and things look bleak.

#### Resolved

The sun hung low in the sky. Its fading light gave the battlefield an eerie otherworldly quality. Their enemy could be anywhere. Even an open field like this provided enough cover. Enemies could be lurking, waiting to strike. The fight had begun at dawn and continued all day. It wasn’t the swift battle they’d hoped for. Every step forward was paid for in blood and lives. They slogged on through the field, determined to push the front line forward. Among them all, they were the vanguard, The best and most capable. They were to slice through the enemy ranks and leave a path for the others. That’d been the plan at least. As it were they reduced to hammering back enemy forces and hoping those behind were able to follow.

Garnet said nothing. She delivered blow after blow sending her opponents reeling. They’d made good progress, but the objective was still so far behind. Garnet tried her best to stand tall and lead them, but there was the faint sense of fatigue in her sagging shoulders and her punches were landing with less and less impact. In among the masses of Gems, It was simply a matter of time before they were overrun.

Pearl knew this better than anyone. It was her job to know this. The safety and success of her team and more importantly her mission depended on it. She watched the battle carefully. They’d succeeded in moving the front line but they’d been cut off and were in danger of being surrounded.

She sent an opponent stumbling to the ground with a skilful parry.

“We need to fall back, hold this ground until help arrives” She shouted through the noise of the melee. She looked from Garnet to the others. Rose and Amethyst were further back following in Garnet’s wake. Amethyst was capable if non-conventional. Pearl had been drilled in combat techniques for as long as she could remember. Her every action a deliberate choice, centuries of military doctrine refined into a lethal dance. 

Amethyst was strong, but unaware. She fought in the moment. Like a predator reacting to prey. Picking off enemies with her whip like the tongue of some great beast. She was unpredictable and that made her dangerous. Pearl had been reluctant to leave Rose in her care, but this was the only viable strategy.

“Amethyst, fall back” Pearl barked again. Her voice almost lost over the sound of clashing weapons.

“Relax P, This is great” Amethyst said tackling another gem to the ground. “It’s too easy”. She was covered in dirt and viscera. Fighting more like an animal than a solider.

Pearl grimaced. She’d known it was a mistake to bring Amethyst. She couldn’t be trusted, she was too unpredictable, she was one of them. Pearl had argued the case, but Rose trusted Amethyst and Pearl trusted Rose. Besides Garnet had said “There isn’t another choice, we can’t risk it” and Pearl could never argue with Garnet.

The war had lasted too long. Even by Gem standards. Homeworld’s machines had been shut down and the Kindergarten reduced to scrap. Neither Homeworld or the Crystal Gems had the resources to fight much longer. This was something of a last charge. 

Garnet had managed to hold the line and it looked as if the battle might turn. Amethyst continued to dive into the battle. Treating it more like a brawl than a military operation. Pearl watched with irritation as Amethyst missed a perfect opening and was sent rolling along the ground like a hay bale.

“Amethyst!” She screeched. This couldn’t go on any longer. She was a risk and a liability. Pearl began to move towards her. Her spear twirling in her hands and clearing a path through the massed troops.

The distance between them was not great, they were fighting man to man and soon they were face to face. 

“Amethyst, what are you doing?”

“You’re meant to keep this flank secure”

“Yea, I am. See”

Amethyst gestured ahead of her. There were mostly wounded or dead troops and those still standing lacked the resolve to try pass her again.

“No, No, How can you fight like this?!” Pearl said, her face a mixture of anger and irritation.

“If we don’t keep both flanks secure, they’ll pass us and reach Rose” Pearl said defiantly.

“Like they are now, you mean?” Amethyst said.

“what?!”

Pearl turned in horror. She’d left her side to reach Amethyst and now the burgeoning forces of the enemy were surging through. Garnet was fighting on three fronts and wouldn’t last long. Pearl muttered under her breath. In her zealous fervour she’d led the enemy to Rose. Her precious Rose.

Pearl turned on her heels and ran back towards her flank, but it was too late. An archer slipped through. The arrow flew through the air and pierced rose in the chest before she could raise her shield. She stood for a moment tried to bear it and then toppled to the ground with a thud.

Both Amethyst and Pearl were running now, Garnet too, but there was a wall of enemies between her and them. Pearl and Amethyst reached Rose at the same time. She was sprawled on the ground. Her graceful curls and dressed stained with cold wet mud and wincing with the pain.

The enemy moved forward. Pearl and Amethyst were fighting back to back against the enemy. Every blow brought them mere seconds as they desperately fought to protect Rose. 

As they fought, they began to fall into a rhythm. Neither spoke, but both struck out like practised fighters. A spear blocked a lethal blow from Amethyst’s left and a whip sent Pearl’s opponent staggering. The night sky was illuminated by a single glowing figure. For a moment, there was a towering shadow cast on the field and Pearl and Amethyst was gone.

Where they’d stood was a monstrous figure. Its four arms lashed out like a dervish and the enemy line fell away rapidly like a receding tide. For a moment, it stopped and looked down at Rose. She seemed so small and fragile from up here. It drew a bow from nowhere. It was elegant and refined, but unwieldy and threatening. It held the bow in its four arms and in a single moment unleashed hell.

Limitless arrows streaked across the battlefield like falling stars. The enemy were scattered and broken. Like leaves caught in the wind. Those who still stood were unable to fight. They looked up to this monster, a mixture of awe and fear. This was the level of loyalty that Rose inspired and it shattered their remaining resolve like so many cracked gems. Even as they ran, the arrows never stopped. Each barrage brought more deaths and pushed the line ever further forward. It was a raging torrent, A divine wind, 

Garnet stood ragged and breathing, but alive. She looked over to where her team mates had stood and smiled. “I knew they’d get along” She said.

Rose was on her feet now too. Hidden behind the creature’s leg, like a frightened child. She hugged it tight.

“Thank you, both of you” She said.

Their allies swarmed in, Celebration and rejoicing soon followed. They’d won, It was over, they were victorious.

The giant shouldered her mighty bow and took a single breath. Light once again filled the air. A single burning beacon of victory and when it finally fizzled out. Amethyst and Pearl lay exhausted on the ground. Nobody dared wake them. Huddled together like animals. They slept through the cold night together. Unaware of the victory they’d just won.

*****

Pearl swung her spear. Its point perfectly aimed for maximum lethality. Amethyst’s whip caught it in mid-air and wrested it from her hand.

“Good, again” Pearl said cheerfully.

“We’ve been doing this for days, Give us a break P” Amethyst said between breaths. Beads of sweat rolling down her face.

Pearl turned to Garnet, who only smiled. She seemed even more reserved than usual.

“Alright, but only for a while” Pearl said smiling.

The four of them sat and rested together. Perhaps they made a better team than she had thought.


End file.
